[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6510934,"mediaKeyId","5345945-014b92f2941d3be4af77bd7016426060","parentId",5345945,"title","Technology Commission unanimously approves June 11 minutes","audioSeconds",138,"startMs",282000,"endMs",420000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5345945-014b92f2941d3be4af77bd7016426060&start=282&end=420","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5345945-014b92f2941d3be4af77bd7016426060/thumbnail_282000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6510934/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Technology-Commission-unanimously-approves-June-11-minutes","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6510934-d527d862b126216c8ab365452282a1db/orig.mp4?Expires=1770443449&Signature=BO3RKXoGWPVh13TLpwqKOo9maYjZvUcoYY2B9hi0jEN3gjjGEom~FBaUiACc6SebSCcQznwVxT7EJG0lBubUnbw-qAzA9qdWGZiPcgP2CWcBIJnVcl~L3zOTjGDJIELKZBlp4yW96Ula2tcD0nbcWSB7ZyYYSd6iTj259ES6eG1KCwwjPh4XhGEVtIisDwOll0FCaQYBIHeA~htKXhD-aHkbsX35wgVZLbjFpGHLR2QGHHfMcEHhRGjP7ral64ItPDXk0uL6tFOkQ4xYKlxSoHh3Fl4o~cFBr2l8XSpq016nIsGFD0wfpsYsmd-pIuJIAHyliwmJ4Iq4hR2VyaY9QA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Austin","date","2025-07-09T00:00:00Z","article","The Austin Technology Commission unanimously approved the minutes of its June 11 meeting during its July 9 session.

Chair Steven Apodaca asked if any commissioners had edits to the draft minutes circulated by staff. Commissioner Cumbie moved to approve the minutes; Commissioner Pena Villa seconded the motion. The chair called for a voice vote; commissioners present responded “aye” and the minutes were adopted without abstention.

Record of the action:
- Motion: Approve minutes of the June 11 meeting.
- Mover: Commissioner Cumbie.
- Second: Commissioner Pena Villa.
- Outcome: Approved unanimously by commissioners present.

Ending: Chair Apodaca thanked staff for preparing the draft minutes.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Austin - Technology Commission - Jul 09, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","At the July 9 meeting the Austin Technology Commission unanimously approved the minutes of its June 11 meeting after a motion and second; no edits were raised.","taxTitle","Austin, Travis County, Texas","taxId",2819,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6510937,"Resident urges Technology Commission to investigate behavioral manipulation in video‑game matchmaking",100,132000,232000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5345945-014b92f2941d3be4af77bd7016426060&start=132&end=232","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5345945-014b92f2941d3be4af77bd7016426060/thumbnail_132000.jpg","/articles/6510937/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Resident-urges-Technology-Commission-to-investigate-behavioral-manipulation-in-videogame-matchmaking","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6510937-32fef7c907b67a859d72ba1cfe125271/orig.mp4?Expires=1770443449&Signature=EBmIXtpyC7b~F16E5LbW0wsDQ1dF0n41Edxu1aeED8JPzTmOHdy6r5MWVAv4NrBpMD3UoZ0OIBfwnO8NJhRruN6TDLe6YKBlMZEos315OvksnTKrRzEBTqMXusAPQ~x3LohVXSxlhuwbAL~sdWoHAyUnktdupRZV3oKQXeg23DvWkFUhLBX8~2275rMgrzh5jaw~nq1d2ii7QTaJ7rK5w1kQnw5~6g14uUqrxqKbMBmVrH80gXbVMQz5xZyKUMeOTLsBwusStCu9Xj~1OjSMPzadGFIK7N0XS~PxIhcWWlw6Z9~iWr~6MTYQqOif~MZwFyf2mSu8E88OxzbD0bOmQg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Michael Moss, a resident who spoke during public comment at the July 9 Austin Technology Commission meeting, asked the commission to investigate what he described as “behavioral exploitation” in video‑game matchmaking systems.

Moss said some studios use “skill based matchmaking and engagement optimized matchmaking” that, he argued, employ behavioral science to “engineer retention, encourage purchases, or keep [players] tethered to engagement cycles that benefit corporate profit.” He warned that such systems “leverage dozens of metrics, stress response, frustration thresholds, spending history, session length, and they do so without meaningful user awareness or consent.”

Why it matters: Moss framed the issue as digital‑ethics and consumer‑protection concerns that affect vulnerable populations, including youth and compulsive users. He asked the commission to consider oversight protocols, algorithmic audits and public education about consent and transparency in entertainment technology.

Details from the comment:
- Moss said the systems do more than match skill; they deliver “predicted emotional outcomes designed to engineer retention” and “strip away player expression.”
- He requested that the commission “formally investigate whether these practices violate… principles of digital ethics, consumer fairness, and psychological safety” and consider “establishing oversight protocols that audit matchmaking algorithms for behavioral targeting disguised as personalization.”

Response: Chair Steven Apodaca thanked Moss, said the commission advises council on community technology matters and asked Moss to follow up by email; the commission noted they had the testimony on file.","Michael Moss addressed the Technology Commission during public comment on July 9, urging investigation into matchmaking systems that use behavioral metrics to promote engagement and spending and asking the commission to help raise public awareness and pursue oversight.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6510940,"City liaison announces GTOPS Mini and Capacity awardees, invites commissioners to proclamation event",694,3806000,4500000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5345945-014b92f2941d3be4af77bd7016426060&start=3806&end=4500","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5345945-014b92f2941d3be4af77bd7016426060/thumbnail_3806000.jpg","/articles/6510940/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/City-liaison-announces-GTOPS-Mini-and-Capacity-awardees-invites-commissioners-to-proclamation-event","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6510940-3a424c61477eb679bc50ad5a4256c8c1/orig.mp4?Expires=1770443449&Signature=SeNHmsfxzc-f4Bt8TpLByRM3DmfuGlkxZmuzpBEv2-yUt9ddTla8FyIFEQOpkI7XlPByOMa~fmqz-b9WrG0Bj-8~58KKubMgw4ZqYq5zV2td58jPgQP2JpvNDYtmqTrPWATs-I6Ol-ybVugErQYh69nfkbbg51OnH06wWjWpxrAO7BH2K4T1DixaU9qRaJHEagzbjSeR3MQwHeGqLbqJaUIg6K9Ar0R6GGecaJ1n49NcvXuEwLBpq-507RG6TxEt3ML1vSbkYPSSJekvZrzzOBhlue5ksSuU9xAYpjwLIM~Cb5UKbrNBwCN7eq1YBx3nuV0oF0F1PZ8grJ2-AjY3Yw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dan Martinez, the city liaison for the commission, briefed members on July 9 about the selected awardees for two city digital‑equity grant programs: GTOPS Capacity and GTOPS Mini.

Nut graf: The session named organizations that received awards, described program purposes and noted a planned proclamation event in September to celebrate the 2025 awardees. Staff asked commissioners to consider serving as reviewers for youth and core grant review panels.

Details:
- GTOPS pathways: Martinez summarized three GTOPS grant pathways—GTOPS Core (largest), GTOPS Capacity (micro grants) and GTOPS Mini (project‑based, direct client service grants). He described capacity grants as intended for operational capacity building (training, staff tools) and Mini grants as project‑based direct service funding.
- Awardees and amounts (as presented):
- GTOPS Capacity awardees included Economic Growth Business Incubator (EGBI) and HC4A, Austin Frenet, Museum of Human Achievement, DAWA (Walking by Faith Prison Ministry), Latinitas Inc., Sinaloa Americas and Texas Folklife Resources. Martinez said Texas Folklife Resources received $1,451.66 of a $2,000 request because of remaining funds in the budget that allowed an 11th award.
- GTOPS Mini awardees (each funded at $10,000 as presented): Austin Urban Technology Movement, Brave Communities (I Am Brave program), Art Curatorial Inc., HC4A (Google Career Certificate expansion), Latinitas (bilingual adult digital literacy), and Diversity Awareness and Wellness in Action (DAWA) (studio access expansion).
- Program mechanics: Martinez said GTOPS Capacity awards have a maximum award of $2,500 and are intended for organizations with annual revenues below specified thresholds; GTOPS Mini awards range $5,000–$10,000 and fund direct services. He also acknowledged inconsistent numeric figures in the presentation about total funding pools (both $60,000 were mentioned and the presenter corrected one figure mid‑presentation); staff later noted some of the totals were corrected in follow‑up.
- Events and reviewer opportunities: Martinez said a GTOPS proclamation is tentatively scheduled for Sept. 11 and invited commissioners to attend. He also invited commissioners to serve as panelists for the Art Connect youth review (Sept/Oct) and for GTOPS Core reviews starting in January.

Ending: Staff asked commissioners to respond if they wish to serve as reviewers; two commissioners were thanked for participating on the recent Mini/Capacity panels. Martinez and staff said they will circulate details and invitations for the proclamation, reviewer opportunities and next year planning.","Dan Martinez, the city liaison, presented the selected recipients for GTOPS Capacity and GTOPS Mini grants, listed awardees and described a September proclamation event and opportunities to serve as reviewers for youth Art Connect and next year’s GTOPS core review panels.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6510946,"EFF Austin urges Technology Commission to oppose automated license-plate readers, citing privacy and contract concerns",1547,449000,1996000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5345945-014b92f2941d3be4af77bd7016426060&start=449&end=1996","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5345945-014b92f2941d3be4af77bd7016426060/thumbnail_449000.jpg","/articles/6510946/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/EFF-Austin-urges-Technology-Commission-to-oppose-automated-license-plate-readers-citing-privacy-and-contract-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6510946-d9f454c2f973a4543879e71e38ff9ebf/orig.mp4?Expires=1770443449&Signature=VgDMAOq7xzx2pMqxwGP599h-ZCozeFHbmOsGYpZfQIDBA8gVBLzqO34~gA2yKlIjUqWrGocIxz8LNRj05OB4teSfEyHcDkl0Wcb9t86rYYDuigTpbf4AFMYxcUwvZ~0fO2RIrNRYeqaJx2~GTuvPAFnIaxpydlsW2JOCVDOyPssxtymuQO8KLCIdqhmkLgfUM-M2SaMsHBpNp5XX1SaSPFpa6jPO5VwP4MR7GjJ9p-fYnl8gM03XNM7IWYWCiF-~VVd4KLpiNgDFH7XMhukWtOMUxSajD6a2sDGFFlt1V-7~~dumpCTgB6mwoICAidq5GMj0HyqEyX3jPRcU2PcUUQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Kevin Welch, board president of EFF Austin, told the Austin Technology Commission on July 9 that automated license-plate readers, or ALPRs, are “a mass surveillance technology because they canvas an entire area indiscriminately by gathering information about where people were at certain times without a warrant, probable cause, or evidence of criminal wrongdoing.”

Welch gave a 90-minute presentation and Q&A on the city’s yearlong ALPR pilot and the role of private vendors, including Flock, in operating the system used by Austin Police Department (APD). He said the pilot logged about 75 million plate reads in a year and that only “0.02 percent” of those reads returned matches to the vendor hot lists. He told commissioners that the pilot’s audit and contract language raised “stunning” legal and privacy concerns, notably a contract clause that he said gave the vendor “a nonexclusive, perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty free, fully paid license to use, reproduce, modify, and distribute the agency data.” Welch said the contract language meant, in practice, Austin did not legally limit the vendor’s use of the data.

Why it matters: Welch framed ALPRs as a policy decision that weighs a small operational benefit against broad privacy and civil‑liberties costs. He described risks including inaccurate reads that have led to wrongful stops, third‑party access or resale of location data, politicized placement of cameras near clinics or places of worship, and real‑world harms such as bounty‑hunter use and a reported fatality linked to ALPR data elsewhere in Texas.

Details from the presentation and discussion:
- Technology and vendors: Welch summarized differences between fixed pole ALPRs (Flock) and mobile ALPRs in squad cars (Axon) and said both scan plates indiscriminately and record location and time data.
- Efficacy: Welch presented the pilot statistics—about 75 million scans with a hot‑list match rate he described as less than 0.02 percent—and argued that low yield does not justify the privacy risks and recurring vendor licensing costs.
- Contract and audit issues: Welch said the city resolution that set limits on data sharing contrasted with the signed contract’s broader vendor license language. He and members of the public and council discovered that the pilot’s web form allowed optional entry for the reason for a search and that about 25 percent of searches lacked a documented purpose, which he called a process failure with significant consequences.
- Threats and documented incidents: Welch cited national reporting that law‑enforcement searches across 83,000 ALPR cameras were used to locate a person who had an abortion, a Dallas case in which bounty hunters used ALPR data and a fatal shootout ensued, and reporting that Flock data had been used in immigration enforcement in other states despite local prohibitions.

Commissioner questions focused on vendor practices, data ownership and retention, comparable municipal practices and the pilot’s cost and metrics. Welch said he did not have the exact pilot contract value at hand but estimated “over $1 million, under $10 million.” He said New Hampshire law limits ALPR retention to three minutes and described that as a model for stricter retention limits. Welch urged the commission to continue outreach to council and to the commission’s public‑surveillance working group.

What the commission said: Chair Steven Apodaca thanked Welch and invited follow‑up; several commissioners asked technical and policy questions and expressed interest in continued engagement, including inviting Welch to the commission’s public‑surveillance work group and coordinating with the council liaison.

Ending: Welch said his coalition’s position is “no ALPRs for Austin — not now, not ever,” and he asked the Technology Commission to use its advisory role to educate city council about the risks and to pursue alternatives. Commissioners agreed to continue the conversation and to consider next steps with staff and council liaisons.","Kevin Welch, board president of EFF Austin, told the Technology Commission on July 9 that automated license-plate readers (ALPRs) are mass-surveillance tools, described risks identified in the city pilot audit and urged the commission to advise city council against renewal or future adoption.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Technology Commission unanimously approves June 11 minutes

Resident urges Technology Commission to investigate behavioral manipulation in video‑game matchmaking

City liaison announces GTOPS Mini and Capacity awardees, invites commissioners to proclamation event

EFF Austin urges Technology Commission to oppose automated license-plate readers, citing privacy and contract concerns